Automobile-wheel.



PATENTED JAN E. A. WHEELER & W. HEGKERT.

W. W. SHILLING, BXEOUTOR OF E. A. WHEELER, DEO'D.

AUTOMOBILE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1904.

Z WZn wove UNITED sTA rns PATENT OFFICE...

EARL A. WHEELER AND WILLIAM HECKERT, OF SHARON, PENN SYDVANIA; W. W. SHILLING EXECUTOR OF SAID EARL AHVVHEELER, DECEASED.

AUTOMOBILE-WHEEL;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 29, 1904. Serial No. 238,766.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EAnn A. WHEELER and WILLIAM HEOKERT, citizens of the United States ,residing at Sh.aron,in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Wheels; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

This invention consists of an improved wheel designed particularly for automobiles or motor-vehicles, but also generally adapted for cycles, carriages, and wagons and vehicles of all descriptions employing rubber, cushion, pneumatic, or other flexible tires. Its chief distinguishing feature is the construction of the Wheel so as to provide separable half-rims, which together constitute the complete grooved rim for reception of thetightfitting tube, these half-rims beingsecured to an interposed ring, to which the tire is also attached byfastenings engaging the under portion of the tire.

The main objects and advantages of the invention are strength, lightness, neatness, simplicity, and cheapness of construction, tightfitting of the tire, and security against accidental slipping or displacement, as when the vehicle turns a sharp curve, and'thus subjects the tires to severe lateral strains, ease and facility of attachment and removal ofthe tire without the necessity of stretching it over the rim, which not only involves great effort and difliculty, but also is an impediment to tight fitting, and protection of the inflationvalve where a pneumatic tire is used, with provision for convenient connection to a pump at the side of the wheel.

In the accompanying, drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein corresponding parts in the different figures are designated by similar reference-symbols, Figure 1 is a central vertical cross-section of a wheel embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the half part of the same.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, A denotes the spindle of a vehicle axle, upon which is journaled the hub B of the wheel. Appropriate bal1-bearings are shown in the hub,

the outerend of which is provided with a dust-cap of ordinary construction.

The body of the-wheel com rises two webs or sections preferably in the orm of annular disks C C, which are ]of course preferably arranged wider apart at the hub and closer at the rim or circumference for the purpose of strength and rigidity, similarly to the arrangement of the spokes of ordinary cycle .andsulky wheels. These disks are centrally bolted or secured to the hub, which may have annular collars or flanges b thereon for such attachment, and they are formed at their outer peripheral parts with outwardly-eretending concave flanges or half-rims c, which together constitute the complete concave rim for reception of the tire D. Each disk is preferably formed from a single piece of sheet-steel and integrally with its half-rim, which results, in combined lightness, neatness, and strength. A ring E, preferably of metal, is arranged under the tire between the peripheral straight arts of the disks, and one of the disks,pre erably the one at the ine ner side of the wheel, is riveted or secured to said ring, while the other disk, or that at the outer side of the wheel is separatel fastened thereto, so that in use the two dis (S are rig idly secured together, both at the center or 1 hub and the rim or circumference, while the outer disk may be unfastened and removed when it is desired to place 'on the tire or repair or remove it. Instead of this means of fastening the disks to the interposed ring E they may be secured thereto by bolts passing through the ring and both disks, though the former mode of attachment is more desirable. This construction makes it a simple and easy matter to attach or remove a thick heavy well-fitting tire, which is very difficult to place onto any of the ordinary vehicle-wheels with present solid rims. With our improved wheel it is only necessary to unfasten and 'remove the outer disk, fit the tire in its place, fasten it to the ring, and then replace and secure the outer disk, which holds the tire in place and hides and covers the tire-attaching means. Thus the effort and difficulty of stretching the tire over the rim is avoided, the tire can be made tighter, and it is more perfectly insured against accidental slipping or displacement in use.

The tire D is secured to the rim by bolts or cap-screws d, which are inserted through the rin E and tapped into nuts or blocks d, embe ded in the tire, thus furnishing efficient means for absolutely preventing the tire from coming off. When the outer disk is removed, the tire can be readily put on and secured to the ring E before returning said outer disk, which hides and protects the bolts.

In order to inflate the pneumatic tire from the outer side of the wheel, the tire has preferably an air-tube F projectin from its under side between the disks and ormed with a right-angled terminal f, which generally contains the valve, said terminal projecting into or through a hole in the outer disk C and having a removable cap, so that connection can be made readily with an air-pump set beside the wheel. The tube F may project through an opening in the ring E or said ring may be divided and have it ends terminate at opposite sides of said tube.

G denotes a ring secured over the outer end of the hub and coveringthe inner 'eriphery of the removable disk. H is a simi ar ring at the opposite side, having a sprocket I, with which a chain may be geared for driving the Wheel independently. If the wheel is merely used for rotation and not as a driving-wheel, or if it is secured on the axle, plain bands or rings similar to G are secured on both sides of the hub.

The metal disks or side plates C C of the wheel may be corrugated radially or in line with the ordinary spokes, as indicated at c in Figs. 1 and 2, thus rendering the wheel stiffer.

In addition to the great advantage described in attaching, repairing, or removing the tire a wheel constructed in accordance with our improved design is stronger, neater, and cheaper than any wheel of similar size formed with spokes, it obviates the difficulty of cleaning the spokes of ordinary wheels, and it avoids such accidents as the catching of sticks or stones in the spokes and breaking or injuring the wheel.

We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A wheel having two separable halfrims which together constitute a complete grooved rim, an interposed ring to which said half-rims are secured, at least one of said halfrims being detachably connected to said ring, and a-fiexible tire fitted in said rim and attached to said ring by fastenings engaging the under portion of the tire. 2. A wheel comprising a hub, two con fronting disks attached to said hub and having circumferential flanges or half-rims which together constitute a complete grooved rim for reception of a flexible tire, an interposed ring under said rim to which said disks are secured, at least one disk being detachably connected to its hub and to said ring, and means for fastening the tire to said ring comprising devices adapted for insertion through the ring and for attachment to the under side of the tire.

3. A wheel comprising two confronting sections separably secured together and having outwardly-flaring peripheral flanges or halfrims which when the sections are united constitute the complete grooved or concaved rim for reception of a cushion or flexible tire, and means for positively securing the tire in one half-rim before uniting the sections, the fastenings for the tire being concealed between the sections when united. e

4. A wheel comprising two confronting sheet-metal sections having integral circumferential flanges or half-rims which together constitute a complete grooved rim for the reception of a flexible tire, and a ring under the tire between the sections to which the latter are secured, one of said sections being affixed to said ring and the other detachably secured thereto and separable together with its halfrim to permit insertion or removal of the tire, and means for positively securing the tire to said ring before securing the removable section with its half-rim in place, said means comprising bolts or screws inserted through the ring and tapped in ruts embedded in the under medial portion of the tire.

5. A wheel whose body comprises two separable webs or disks having peripheral outwardly-flaring or concave flanges which when the sections are united constitute the complete grooved rim for reception of a flexible' tire, a ring between the disks to which they are secured, and means for fastening the tire directly to said rin 6. A wheel Whose Iiody comprises two separable webs or disks and an interposed ring to which they are secured, saiddisks having peripheral half-rims which together constitute a complete grooved rim, and a pneumatic tire seated in said rim and adapted to be inserted or removed by separating one disk with its half-rim from the other, said tire having a valved inflating-tube projecting from its under side through the ring into the space between the disks and having an opening through one of the disks for connection with a pump.

7. A wheel whose body comprises two separable webs or disks having integral peripheral half-rims which together constitute a complete grooved rim, and a pneumatic tire seated in said rim and adapted to be in serted or removed by separating one disk from the other, a ring under the tire to which said disks are separately secured, one of said disks being detachably secured thereto, and a valved inflating-tube projecting from the under side of said tire between the disks and having an opening: through one 01' the (links [or eunneetmn wlth a pump. 1 8. A wheel comprising a huh having annuthe tire to said ring hel'm'e seeming the tie-- tnehnhle seetmn Hl phwe.

In I(SIIHI()II \vhei'eot we zltiix our nignn Iaiflanges, opposite \vehs or seetinns set-tired IllI'(.\ in presence nI two witnesses. 5 to said flanges and having eireuint'erential half-rims forming a grooved i'iin I01 weep-- tiun of a, flexible tire, and a ring under the tire between the sections and to which they are seeuretl, at. least one seet-iun being |e 1o tachable, and means I'm positively fastening EARL A. WHEELER. WILLIAM IIE(I EI{'I.

IVIfHOSSUSZ ALFRED WILLIAMS, N EULA I I ECK ER'I. 

